We know you thrift shoppers love things that are historic . . . and are bargains! Here’s an outing in Orange County that combines these! It’s a tour of “Arden” – the Helena Modjeska House, a National Historic Landmark built in 1888, in Modjeska Canyon. The docent-led tour is only $5.00 and is offered on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays, or the 2nd and 4th Saturdays, every month.

Madame Modjeska was the most famous Shakespearean actress in the country in the 1880s and 1890s. She and her husband, emigres from Poland, dreamed of owning a ranch in California. In 1888 they purchased the land in Santiago Canyon that would become Arden. Designed by the noted New York architect Stanford White and named for the magical Forest of Arden in Shakespeare’s “As You Like It,” Arden became an idyllic retreat where they where they could enjoy rustic ranch life and entertain a glittering list of celebrities of the day.

Visitors will love the vintage furnishings, the oak-shaded grounds, and the legacy of an immensely talented, artistic woman. To make a tour reservation or learn more, call 949-923-2230.

On a recent tour, our docent was dressed in a gorgeous vintage Victorian costume. You might want to check out the ALI thrift shop before you go to see if YOU can find some Victorian-looking clothing to put you in the spirit of Madame Modjeska!

Did you know that the ALI thrift shop has GIFT CERTIFICATES? These come in $5 denominations and are a perfect solution for those situations where you need an affordable gift. Like these:

You belong to a Bunco group where everyone has to bring a token door prize to award during the evening.

Your 8th grade daughter wants to have a sleepover birthday party, and you need party favors.

The kid down the street, who has been sleeping on his parents’ couch ever since he graduated from college five years ago, because he’s “writing a screenplay,” finally moves into an apartment, and you want to give him something to send him on his way. (You give his parents a bottle of champagne, however.)

You’re the church youth group advisor/band mother/drill team chaperone or some other type of adult volunteer for a high-school group, and need a unisex-type gift or prize for the kids, that isn’t food.

See how easy this could be? Just visit the thrift shop and tell the cashier you want to buy some GIFT CERTIFICATES. (And while you’re at the shop, reward yourself with a little something, too!)